Perennial contenders under Trent Robinson, would the Roosters be able to challenge for the premiership after losing a mountain of experience?
Adding to the 2021 retirements of Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend, Brett and Josh Morris would also need to be replaced in the backline.
Halfback Sam Walker was still a teenager when the season started and Joseph Sua'ali'i hadn't yet proved himself in first grade.
The Sporting News take a look back at the Roosters season below.
Did the Roosters over-deliver or under-deliver in 2022?
This is a tough one but, based on their form heading into the finals, the Roosters UNDER-DELIVERED in 2022.
Winning eight on the trot only to lose their heads and the game against South Sydney would have been a tough pill to swallow for Roosters fans.
Despite some issues with injuries throughout the season, Robinson still has a host of Origin and International stars at his disposal and, had they not had to make their run from a long way out, may have fared better come the end of the season.
When did it fall apart?
The Roosters came into their elimination final against South Sydney on the back of an excellent run of results but a combination of dumb football and mental lapses saw them bundled out by their arch-rivals.
In a match which had seven sin-bins, the Rabbitohs handled the emotion far better than the Roosters.
Souths were down to 11 men for almost 10 minutes in the first half but errors meant the Roosters barely had any possession and some sloppy defence led to a Rabbitohs try.
The final score, 30-14, was a fair reflection of their performance and a disappointing way to finish their campaign after such a strong run to the finals.
The best period to be a Roosters fan
After the bye in Round 17, the Roosters won eight straight games, including victories over contenders North Queensland, Melbourne and South Sydney, as well as a 72-6 demolition of the Tigers, to guarantee themselves finals football after an up-and-down season prior to the bye.
After dealing with the absences of Luke Keary, Victor Radley and Sam Verrills, among others, throughout the earlier part of the season, the Roosters had a mostly fit squad for the run home.
Matt Lodge’s arrival gave them some added punch through the middle and they started to rack up the wins, leading many to think they could win the competition from outside the top four.
The final round win over Souths was the cherry on top of the regular season but it didn’t go to plan when they met them a week later.
Shining light: Joseph Sua'ali'i
Potentially the most widely discussed teenager in the history of the game showed why there’s been so much hype around him in a breakout campaign.
Sua’ali’i had a taste of first-grade last year but exploded onto the scene in 2022.
Playing on the wing, the 19-year-old impressed with his athleticism and finishing skills, scoring 15 tries from 19 appearances.
Equally if not more impressive for a player of his experience level, his desire in defence and willingness to take tough carries out his own end proved he’s got the mongrel to go with the flair.
Will they improve in 2023?
This always had the feel of a transition year for Robinson’s side and you suspect they’ll be better for it.
Halfback Sam Walker will continue to grow, both physically and in terms of his ability to lead the team around the park.
Sua’ali’i will only get better, Joseph Manu, who missed the elimination final with injury, is one of the best backs in the competition and still adding strings to his bow.
James Tedesco and Luke Keary should still have plenty of high quality football in them as well.
Question marks however remain on the future of the pack. After some injury-impacted seasons, Sam Verrills appeared to recapture his best only to depart for the Titans, with Brandon Smith joining the club.
Can Smith be the organising hooker the Roosters need?
The departure of Siosiua Taukeiaho leaves a big hole in the front-row, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’ best football is behind him. Lindsay Collins will need to put injury troubles and bad luck behind him to take a leading role for the Roosters.
Roosters player movements 2023
Gains
Brandon Smith, Jaxson Paulo
Losses
Lachlan Lam, Freddy Lussick, Kevin Naiqamaa, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Siosiua Taukeiaho, Sam Verrills, Ronald Volkman
Unsigned
Angus Crichton, Lani Graham-Taufa, Tuku Hau Tapuha, Matthew Lodge, Ben Marschke
